Cartrack, the listed supplier of fleet-management and stolen-vehicle-recovery services, has reduced dividend payments in order to settle its debt and to pursue growth opportunities, says CEO Zak Calisto. The company said on Tuesday it has changed its dividend policy, which had previously targeted a cover ratio of two to four times headline earnings per share (Heps) to a cover a ratio of two to six times Heps in the 2020 financial year. With a low dividend cover ratio, a company normally pays out a large proportion of its earnings as dividends, while a high dividend cover ratio implies that the company retains most of the earnings after paying out dividends.

Calisto said the company has prioritised paying off its R190m debt in about 18 months. With a debt-free balance sheet, the group will pursue growth opportunities, he said.Calisto said paying high dividends is not its priority, in light of the numerous growth prospects in an under penetrated market.“We do not want to be...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.